April 29, 2013

“If it matters to the USA family, it matters to us.” VOL. 52, NO. 15APR. 29, 2013

VANGUARDTHETHE

In this Issue: Life, Page 7

Sports, 0Opinion, Page 13

fi nd us on Facebook “Facebook.com/“Facebook.com/

TheVanguardUSA”TheVanguardUSA”

Check out our digital edition thevanguardonline.com

See PARTNERSHIP Page 5

By JAYSON [email protected]

South Alabama and Chinese University form partnership

Dr. Jim Connors signs amendment to master cooperation agreement between USA and Fuzhou University.

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Associate dean of the school of continuing education Dr. Jim Connors recently visited China to lead a talk between South Alabama and Fuzhou University Zhicheng College (FUZC) in an attempt to further study abroad programs.

Dr. Connors was accompanied by the following: Dean Richard Hayes of the college of education, Dean Vaughn Millner of continuing educa-tion, Dean John Steadman of engi-neering, Dean Alec Yasinsac of the

school of computing, as well as FUZC graduate Dr. Jingshan Huang of the school of computing, chair of market-ing Dr. Mohan Menon and dean of en-gineering Dr. John Steadman.

“A major component of USA’s long range plan is to increase study abroad and international exchange opportuni-ties for our students and faculty, and to intermingle a global perspective into the entire curriculum. That’s what this initiative and a number of others are all about,” Connors said.

“The main objective of the trip was to expand the existing academic part-

nership between USA and FUZC. These agreements have been in the works for a while to facilitate more seamless transfers of degree-seeking students between our two universi-ties,” Connors added.

The visit ended with fi ve new gen-eral education, computer science and business course articulation agree-ments being signed. Work was also started on agreement in education, en-gineering and interdisciplinary studies.

In the past, 11 FUZC students

Mock offi ce visits teach health students

South Alabama’s clinical simulation lab will serve as a simulated doctor’s of-fi ce to help students in the professional schools of the health sciences gain valu-able hands-on experience.

Located on the fi rst fl oor of the col-lege of medicine building, the “offi ce” is complete with examination rooms, a nurse’s station and a waiting room. Even the neutral colors of the walls and the in-tensely bright ceiling lights create an ambi-ence that is comparable to that of a real doctor’s offi ce. Inside the examination rooms there are beds for the patients and any device for medical diagnostics that a physician or nurse may need.

The key to making the simulation lab real is the use of standardized patients, real people who are hired by the clinical simulation lab to emulate real, sick pa-tients. They are trained to answer specifi c questions about certain symptoms in or-der to create a real examination experience for the student. After the mock examina-tion, the student records the information from the examination on a computer with software designed specifi cally for the stu-dent’s professional program.

There is also an examination room with a two-way mirror that allows pro-fessors to directly see their students ex-amining and speaking with standardized patients.

Any student can apply to be a stan-dardized patient. According to Alison Rudd, the assistant director for human simulation programs at South Alabama, the hours are fl exible and standardized patients are paid $12 per hour.

Rudd works with the faculty of each division of South Alabama’s Health Sci-ences to build software and design ex-aminations that are specifi c to each pro-fession. These professions include any that are health or medical related, such as physical therapy, nursing, occupational therapy, audiology, nursing, speech pa-thology and many others.

Even some non-students use the clini-cal simulation lab. According to Rudd,

By STUART [email protected]

See HEALTH Page 5

A l -t h o u g h he didn't hear his n a m e called in the NFL D r a f t , f o r m e r S o u t h

Alabama safety B.J. Scott did hear

from the Chicago Bears. He took to Instagram and posted a Bears logo and tweeted the phrase, "I can dig it."

Scott is one of many college play-ers to go undrafted and become an unrestricted free agent.

These players are free to sign with any team who reaches out to them. It appears the Bears have reached out to Scott.

Undrafted free agents are brought on to participate in mini camps and offseason training activities in order

to try to make it onto the team's final 53-man roster before a sea-son begins. It gives players a good chance to prove how quickly they can learn a system and pick up the terminology.

There are many undrafted free agents who have caught on with a team and become very successful. Some of the top names include Tex-ans Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster and All-Pro wide receiver Wes Welker, who recently signed a

BJ ScottSafety

BJ Scott to the Chicago Bears: “I can dig it” By PATRICK [email protected]

See SCOTT Page 5

Stimpson visits USA to talk mayorshipBy NOAH [email protected]

After his recent campaign event on campus, Sandy Stimpson sat down with The Vanguard and touched on some key points of his campaign.

VG: Why do you feel you are a more qualifi ed candidate for mayor and what should voters keep in mind about you when going to cast their votes on election day?

SS: We’re going to unite Mobile and make it one again.

VG: Your campaign has a FB page in which you repeatedly post updates encouraging citizens to give any ideas to help you improve Mobile. Looking one the responses, you see mainly two different ideas present. One wants to improve tourism in Mobile and spend money on museums and other public services and one wants to stop all of the bulk spending that those things bring along. Which side do you see yourself on and why?

SS: The fi rst thing we have to ad-dress is spending. We need to cut out wasteful spending in the city and really get a grip on where the city is. On the fl ipside, you talk about cutting waste-ful spending and investing into future projects and you wonder if they are in opposition with each other. I don’t think they are. You can’t invest with money you don’t have obviously but you don't have to spend money to make money. But also, some of the projects that need to be done will seek to gain private money to fund them as well as public money. But before any people will donate and invest into anything in the city, they have to know your fi s-cally responsible fi rst. Today, there is a problem in people’s minds that we are not fi scally responsible as a city so they don’t want to invest in anything.

VG: So much of your campaign is about making Mobile great again by getting people from out of state to

See STIMPSON Page 6

VOL. 52, NO. 15 / APR. 29, 20132

3VOL. 52, NO. 15 /APR. 29, 2013

“University of South Alabama’s Student Voice”

Editor in ChiefCopy Editor

Life EditorOpinion Editor

Sports EditorLeft of Center

Senior ReporterWeb Editor

Staff Reporter

Cassie FambroAlyssa NewtonJake HowellNoah LoganPatrick HerringJT CrabtreeJayson CurryMatthew Strickland

Stuart Sox

Editorial

Distribution Bobby FaulkMatthew Rhodes

Distribution

Advertising

Graphic Designer

Wesley Jackson

Mohammad Al-Zarrad

Rex McKay

Advertising

Advising

Accounting

J. SellersJ. AucoinKathy Brannan

Management

MissionThe Vanguard, the student-run newspaper of

the University of South Alabama, serves its read-ership by reporting the news involving the campus community and surroun ding areas. The Vanguard strives to be impartial in its reporting and believes fi rmly in its First Amendment rights.

Send letters and guest columns to: The Vanguard

University of South Alabama P.O. Drawer U-1057 Mobile, Ala., 36688.

[email protected]

Letters and guest columns must be received by 7 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the Monday publication. Submissions should be typed and must include the writer’s name, year, school and telephone number. All submissions become the property of The Vanguard. The Vanguard reserves the right to edit letters and guest columns for length and clarity. Letters will be limited to 300 words. Letters and guest columns are the opinion of the writer. The Staff Editorial represents the consensus opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed of the Editor in Chief, Copy Editor, Senior Reporter, and Opinion Editor. All members of the Editorial Board have the same weight. The Vanguard has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will print any corrections or clarifi cations. To report a mistake, e-mail [email protected]. The Vanguard is published Mondays during the academic year, except for exam periods and vacations, and is published twice each summer. The Vanguard is supported in part by an allocation from student activity fees and operates in the Student Media Department of the Division of Student Affairs. Issues are available at most University buildings and select off-campus locations. The fi rst copy is free. Additional copies are $1 each. Freelance writers will receive payment at the discretion of the section editor and will be notifi ed.

PAGE three

Twitter: StormTeam4g9wxFacebook: Facebook.com/StormTeam4Gamma9Wx

Weather for April 29-May 4Weather for April 29-May 4

04/18/1310:48- Delta Parking Lot. Property Damage. Stop

sign and post knocked down.17:20-Biomedical library, N University Blvd.

Criminal Trespass Third Degree.

04/19/13 14:43- The Grove. Bldg #17 Duty Upon Striking an

Unoccupied Vehicle.

04/21/130:49-Old Shell & Hillcrest Rd. Driving Under the

Infl unece-Alcohol.

04/22/1321:23-Research Park 3. Theft of Article from Auto.

04/24/1316:10-HPELS-171 Jaguar Dr. Theft of Property

Third Degree. ($500 or less)

USA Police BlotterUSA Police Blotter251-460-6312251-460-6312

CLASSIFIEDHome For Sale: 3B/2B. Hillcrest at Grelot. Built 2010. 1546 sq. ft . Fenced in yard, security system. $163,900.

205-821-5094. Will negotiate.

VOL. 52, NO. 15/ APR. 29, 20134

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studied at USA and 21 are expected to visit the campus this summer. The FUZC students will participate in an ESL course and cultural experience course.

“Dr. Steven Trout (English), Dr. Mohan Menon (marketing), and Ms. Dawn McKinney (computer sci-ence) will teach at FUZC for several weeks,” Connors said. “We will also host a delegation of FUZC admin-istrators and faculty in August for more talks on expanding our rela-tionship. It’s all very exciting and great for our students.”

Each of the USA faculty gave presentations to FUZC students on their research, and Dr. Yasinsac was awarded a Visiting Professorship by his FUZC colleagues. Drs. Connors and Millner (dean of the school of continuing education) also visited the Offi ce of Chinese Language Council International in Beijing to discuss the placing of a Confucius Institute at USA to help in the teach-ing of Chinese language and culture.

PartnershipCont. from Page One physicians send their nurses and residents

to go through simulations to stay in prac-tice with physical examinations and other important tasks.

The clinical simulation lab opened on January 13. Since then, they have been able to produce over 1,000 simulated patient ex-aminations for students in health or medical oriented programs.

Apart from examinations, the lab is also used to teach students how to handle other tasks in the medical fi eld, such as delivering the news to a patient that they have a ter-minal illness.

“I wish I had this luxury when I was in nursing school,” said Rudd, a USA alumnus. “It is invaluable hands-on experience that will go a long way in preparing students for the real job,” Rudd added.

Rudd also says that she is confi dent that the clinical simulation lab will bring even more students to South Alabama. “Pretty much every major medical school uses stan-dardized patients,” Rudd added.

“USA’s medical school already has a great reputation and this will only add to the quality of the professionals that we pro-duce,” Rudd said.

Any students interested in becoming a standardized patient or any faculty inter-ested in utilizing the clinical simulation lab can email Alison Rudd at [email protected].

HealthCont. from Page One

SGA concludes 2012-13 academic year

The Student Government Associa-tion met on Monday, April 22 for their last regular meeting for the spring se-mester.

“It’s been a great year and a great ride,” said SGA President Parker Chas-tain.

The Associate Dean of Students Dr. Krista Harrell attended the meeting and gave a special message to the senate.

“Renovation has begun on the stu-dent center and we are all very excited about that…thank you for voicing your support,” Harrell said. Although she couldn’t directly attribute why renova-tions began to the demand from stu-dents, Dr. Harrell took note that it began soon after the subject was raised often during SGA elections last month.

“I hope that when you’re thinking about and refl ecting on your experi-ence during senate that you think about how you’re leading the senate, the stu-dent government, and the campus…

and that you’ve left the campus better than you’ve found it,” Harrell said to the senate.

“You all have obviously worked re-ally hard…I thank you and Dr. Mitch-ell thanks you,” Harrell added.

SGA held a collection date for Jags 4 Jags on April 17 in front of the Fresh Food Company.

Jags 4 Jags is a meal donation pro-gram operated through the Dean of Students offi ce. There are collection dates throughout the year where stu-dents can donate extra, unused meals to this program. SGA collected over 180 meals donated by students on the April 17 collection date, according to SGA Senate Pro Tempore Elizabeth McDonald.

Students who are struggling fi nan-cially can apply for donated meals through the Jags 4 Jags website, south-alabama.edu/deanofstudents/jag-s4jags.html.


two-year, $12 million contract with the Denver Broncos.

Scott played two years for the Jaguars and recorded 132 tack-les, nine passes defensed and three forced fumbles in 20 appearances. He also averaged 29 yards per kick-off return.

Scott was brought on as a late ad-dition to the Senior Bowl in January. He participated in the game and had the opportunity to showcase his ver-satility by playing both the safety and cornerback positions. He also partic-ipated in a pro day at the University of Alabama, another chance for him to showcase his skills to pro scouts.

Scott joins former South Ala-bama wide receiver Courtney Smith as Jaguars to sign with an NFL team. Smith signed with the New York Jets following the 2011 draft. He currently plays for the New Or-leans Voodoo of the Arena Football League.

ScottCont. from Page One

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VOL. 52, NO. 15 / APR 29, 20136

come. How do you feel about the smoking ordinances passed almost a year ago by city council? (No smoking in any inside restaurants or sidewalks until 8:00)

SS: One of the things we fi nd gov-ernment doing often is just making things more and more complicated. I think things have to be kept simple. If you’re going to make rules about smoking, you can’t have it be time re-strictions or being outside. That’s just ludicrous. The more rules and regula-tions you make, I think those are the things that drive people away. Person-ally, I do not want to walk into a res-taurant with people smoking but if the owner wants to allow his citizens to smoke during the day, that’s his busi-ness.

VG: You probably noticed the turnout wasn’t great tonight. What would you say to students who might feel local politics aren’t important enough for them to care about it?

SS: I would encourage college stu-dents to get involved. If they get en-gaged, and the unite, they can affect change. If our society is going to deal properly with imposing problems, we need new thoughts and new ideas. We need young people that have a lot of energy and are idealistic in ask-ing, “Why can’t we do any better?” I can tell you a story about the private school that I’m associated with. On our school board, we have three sets of parents on the board. Some parents have kids who are very young and are in kindergarten and such. Some have children in middle school and some have kids in high school. The reason is because the school can’t do anything right in the eyes of the parents who have kids in younger grades. The older parents have seen the whole process and know what is realistic and what can work. So you hopefully have wis-dom from the older ones and a push from the younger ones to always do better. Somewhere in between, that’s what our society has to have. We have to have the young people pushing but some of the older generation still in-volved for the wisdom. So a college student can make a huge impact on society. I would really encourage ev-eryone to get engaged because you can and will make a difference. And if you don’t get involved, you shouldn’t have a right to complain.

StimpsonCont. from Page One

Jaguar Productions encourages student Jaguar Productions encourages student participation, looks aheadparticipation, looks ahead


Jaguar Productions President Khaela Huey and the rest of the Jaguar Productions staff want to encourage students to take advan-tage of the entertainment events that they organize.

In many cases, students may be seeing a performer at a Jaguar Pro-ductions event before they become famous. For example, in 2009 Dan-iel Tosh performed at a Jaguar Pro-ductions event on-campus.

According to senior Patrick Her-ring, a member of Jaguar Produc-tions, the event that Tosh per-formed at didn’t sell out.

Jaguar Productions is funded through the student activities fee that each student pays as part of tuition. In some cases Jaguar Pro-ductions raises money through fun-draisers.

“We want to give students some-thing fun to do with the money that they’re spending in tuition,” says Huey, a senior and English major.

Jaguar Productions is also work-

ing to con-tinue im-proving as an organization. Members of Jaguar Pro-ductions at-tended the N a t i o n a l Assoc ia t ion of Campus A c t i v i t i e s c o n f e r e n c e in Nashville, TN from F e b r u a r y 16 to 20. At this confer-ence Jaguar Productions were able to book entertainment performances for South Alabama as well as learn new ideas through networking with other universities.

The first annual Jag Jam Music Festival was held on April 11 at the University of South Alabama’s

M i t c h e l l C e n t e r . Live mu-sic, inflat-ables, and interesting c u l t u r a l a c t iv i t i e s were avail-able for students at the event. The artists f e a t u r e d at Jag Jam were Matt C o r e y , D a r l i n g P a r a d e and Nelly’s Echo, a

former contestant on the television singing competition “The Voice.”

“I can say that it was a highly en-joyable event that everyone should have been a part of,” said Khaela Huey, the president of Jaguar Pro-ductions.

“I had a great time at Jag Jam—the music was really good and meet-ing the bands was really cool,” said Laura Fliegel, a sophomore and French Major at USA.

Students can also buy discount ticket vouchers at the Jaguar Produc-tions desk in the Academic Support Center for Carmike movie theaters, Bellingrath Gardens, Bayfest, the Mobile Symphony and other special events.

Students that wish to join Jaguar Productions can do so by visiting their office in the Academic support center and filling out a brochure. Ac-cording to Huey it is a great way for students to “build leadership skills and make friends.”

A full list of upcoming Jaguar Productions events can be found on their Facebook page, website, and on the back page of The Vanguard. Jag-uar Productions can also be found on Twitter and Instagram.

Image courtesy of JP.

“If I am learning something new and I keep dropping, I have no worries. I know I will eventually get it and it even becomes fun trying to get the trick to be perfect,” Meckley said.

The twirling community is tight knit, and as a result many participants maintain lifelong friendships. Meckley is looking forward to making new friends in Mobile.

“I am most looking forward to my very fi rst football game with the band, but what I most look forward to about attending USA is becoming a part of this community and experiencing a new place...I will be far from home, but the school will quickly become my second home. I feel very proud to be apart of the growing music department and marching band,” Meckley said.

Theatre USA offers up fantastic show in “Cyrano”Theatre USA offers up fantastic show in “Cyrano”

With a tale of love, war and the pain of being friendzoned,

Theatre USA has produced another magnifi cent show in the form of “Cyrano de Bergerac.”

Written by Edmond Rostand and translated by Anthony Burgess, “Cyra-no” details a fi ctionalized version of the life of the real Cyrano de Bergerac who lived in 1600’s France.

The show itself focuses on Cyra-no’s (Ben Jacobs) love of the beautiful Roxane (Sarah Beth Locklar), and the shenanigans that ensue after she con-fesses her love of handsome Christian de Neuvillette (Brandon Mallette).

Cyrano, an offi cer in the French army and accomplished poet, has a bit of a sore spot when it comes to his enormous nose, as evinced by the tongue-lashing and duel that opens the show.

After his successful duel and dis-patch of Vicomte de Valvert (Quinn Riley-Clark), Roxane’s Duenna (Kris-tina Walter) arrives to arrange a private meeting between Cyrano and her mis-tress.

It is at this meeting where Cyrano, sure that Roxane has come to confess her love to him, is relegated to the friendzone. Poor Cyrano even ends up helping Christian romance Roxane by lending his hand at writing letters to her in Christian’s stead.

Jacobs, as the lead in a stellar cast, delivers Cyrano’s lines on point and with excellent timing, drawing laughs or conjuring sadness from the audi-ence. Perhaps one of the funniest scenes of the play is one involving Cyrano stalling Carlton Warnberg’s Comte de Guiche with a series verbal somersaults and the occasional smack with a tree limb.

Both Mallette and Locklar deliver

the comedy as well. Christian’s disas-trous attempt to woo Roxane without Cyrano’s help, coming up with only “I love you SO much,” and Roxane’s quick thinking in trying to keep de Guiche from sending Christian to war were immensely entertaining to watch.

This reviewer is constantly amazed at how the Theatre USA group is able to completely transform the perfor-mance hall in Laidlaw for each new show.

From the Garden of Eden of “Children of Eden” to the warm wooden structures seen in “Cyrano,” the set design this semester has been truly great.

The costumes have gotten even better as the semester has progressed. The classic attire of French noblemen and women and, of course, Cyrano’s nose was very well done.

Between the stage and the incred-ible costume work, USA has a fantasti-cally talented group at work behind the scenes.

“Cyrano de Bergerac” is USA The-atre’s fi nal production for the 2013 Spring semester, but the talented group will return in the fall.

VOL. 52, NO. 15 / APR. 29, 2013 5

JAKE HOWELL, JAGLIFE [email protected]

By JAKE [email protected]

WEEKLY LOWDOWN

2:30 p.m. - “Writing job ap-plication letters and resumes: tips on developing and for-matting effective cover letters and resumes” in the Humani-ties building, Room 144.

USA Bookstore “Textbook Buyback” begins today!

7:30 p.m. - USA Symphony Band Spring Concert$5 USA Students/Faculty/Staff

10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Free Massage Therapy in the Student Center Mall .

6:30 p.m. - 50th Anniversary Celebration and President Moulton Tribute at Moulton Tower.

7:30 p.m. - USA Woodwind Ensembles Spring Concert in the Laidlaw Recital Hall. $5.00 USA Students/Faculty/Staff.

8 p.m. - IMC presents Eef Barzelay at Satori Coffee House. Free for USA students.

7:30 - USA Concert Choir and University Chorale Spring Choral Concert in the Laidlaw Recital Hall. $5.00 USA Students/Faculty/Staff.

Monday, Apr. 29

Tuesday, Apr. 30

Wednesday, May 1

Thursday, May 2

Friday, May 3

Want your event featured in the Weekly Low-

down? Email the name, date, time, price, place and

a brief tagline (under seven words) to jsh803@

jagmail.southalabama.edu.

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Taylor Meckley began the sport of twirling at the age of fi ve.

Growing up in Fredericktown, Pa., she never expected her skill would lead her to Mobile, Al.

“I decided to come to South Alabama because I saw how nice the school looked, the school had my intended major and then the feature twirler posi-tion was an added bonus on a reason to come,” Meckley said.

Meckley will be the new feature twirl-er for the USA Jaguar Marching Band and is receiving a scholarship from the USA Music Department for her position.

She will also be majoring in informa-

tion systems at USA this fall. The feature twirler position isn’t with-

out responsibilities. Meckley will be re-quired to maintain a certain GPA, be a spokesperson for the band and compete at least twice during her tenure.

Meckley’s years of experience, how-ever, have prepared her for the challenges of her new role.

“What I love most about [twirling] is the competitiveness and dedication needed to stay at a high level of twirling as I got older. Also, this competitiveness helped me do something else I love about the sport which is the traveling aspect to it,” Meckley said.

She acknowledges that, despite her years of experience, dropping is inevi-table.

Marching band announces new feature twirlerMarching band announces new feature twirler

COURTESY OF USA MUSIC DEPT.

JAKE HOWELL | JAGLIFE EDITOR

These concept drawings show how the exquisite costumes used throughout the play came about.

JAKE HOWELL | JAGLIFE EDITOR

The cast of “Cyrano de Bergerac” surrounding Ben Jacobs as he takes his fi nal bow as the titular character, Cyrano.

By TIMOTHY [email protected]

Tues. May 7 - Thur. May 9

8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - USA BOOKSTORE Cap & Gown pick-up.

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VOL. 52, NO. 15/ APR. 29, 20138

Historic Temple Downtown is a unique sight to seeHistoric Temple Downtown is a unique sight to seeBy TIMOTHY [email protected]

Into the downtown scene in Mobile?

We need a Scene writer.

Bars, clubs, and night life articles are welcome.

Have bad service at a local restaurant? Excellent service?

Tell us! Write about it and let your peers know.

Email [email protected]

Opinion and Sports need writers too, and you can [email protected] to fi nd out how to get involved.

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HEY YOU.

USA CEO chapter launches new networking projectUSA CEO chapter launches new networking project

The Ivy League schools have long hosted and all-star cast

of guest speakers to share insights with students around the world.

These juggernauts have turned industries inside out and back! Hear-ing their stories fuels a passion in and drives the up and comers of to-morrow.

But what about other institu-tions? What are they doing?

By JOEL [email protected]

Students at the University of South Alabama involved in the Col-legiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) decided they would reach the ‘unreachable’ and show that under-dogs shouldn’t be counted out.

In an attempt to prove that the people featured on the big news sites were more than merely stories on the web, Joel Ponce and Hunter Brooks started to reach out to some big-hit-ters, and people responded!

With the support from fellow stu-dents Hayden Chudy, Adam Moore

and James Palomo, they were able to put together an action plan and off they went.

The sale was easy. All they asked for was 30 minutes of the entrepre-neurs’ time to talk about their experi-ence and 10-15 minutes of Q&A.

No need to travel and book a ho-tel. Startup Spotlight TV would take care of reaching out to students and host the conversations streamed live via Google Hangouts, later to be ar-chived on startupspotlight.tv.

All the distinguished guest had to do was set aside 45 minutes, at their convenience, to share their story and the group would take care of the rest.

Since the group launched the website they have featured a wide va-riety of the following guests:

•Samer Saab – Co-Founder of Unbranded Designs

•Steve Huffman – Co-Founder of Reddit and Hipmunk

•Tony Hsieh – CEO of Zappos & Partner at Downtown Project

•Andy White – Partner at Veg-asTechFund

•Brett Martin – Co-Founder & CEO of Sonar

The group’s list of upcoming

Entrepreneur Scott Gon-zalez is no stranger to

running businesses in downtown Mobile.

As the owner of Three George’s Chocolatiers, he has been serving the local population delicious des-erts on Dauphin Street since 1992.

Purchasing the vacant Scottish Rite Temple, however, was a much bigger risk.

“The Temple was on the market for a number of years. After a lot of prodding I was able to convince my wife it would be a good move,” Gonzalez said.

The Scottish Rite Temple was commissioned in the 1920’s for the Scottish Rite Bodies of Alabama Freemasons.

The building was designed by renowned architect George Rodg-ers as a tribute to the Egyptian Val-ley of the Kings, with a prominent gateway, elegant sphinxes, obelisk pylons, and high slanted walls remi-niscent of Karnak’s Temple.

The cornerstone was laid No-vember 30, 1921 with an inscription that reads, “Erected to the service

of God and humanity.”The building’s original function

was as a Freemasonry lodge. Only the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, one of the progressively selective de-grees conferred within Masonic orga-nizations, were allowed entry into the Temple.

The last century brought with it a

decline in the popularity Freemasonry, however, and due to operating costs and the aging membership of the or-ganization, the Temple was put on sale.

On January 5, 1984 the Temple was placed on the National Registry of Historic places, effectively saving the last intact example of Egyptian Revival style in Mobile.

COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF JAMES PALOMO

Startup Spotlight is an interesting opportunity for students to network and gain advice from the movers and shakers that are changing the face of business.

speakers includes David Cohen (Co-Founder & CEO of TechStars) on May 9 at 3 p.m. and Daniel Ha (Co-Founder & CEO of Disqus) on May 23 at 3 p.m.

As the website grows the group plans to feature lessons learned from each talk as blog posts and offer the subscribers added benefi ts through partnerships with national organiza-tions.

The best way to stay informed on future plans is to check out start-upspotlight.tv and stay involved with the local Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) chapter at the University of South Alabama.

Students around the country are encouraged to send questions to @StartSpotTV on Twitter to engage in the conversation.

This new media program aims to bridge the gap between rookies and all-stars in hopes of inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.

So get the word out however you can – tweet, post to Facebook, share it on Instagram, dispatch a carrier pigeon and send out a smoke signal – whatever it takes! Startup Spotlight TV is ON AIR.

The Temple is offi cially listed as Mobile’s most unique building. It has been utilized as a movie theater in addi-tion to being used as a lodge and public space.

During World War II, the U.S. mili-tary used the facility as a mapping room, wiring the building with dynamite due to the sensitivity of the operation.

“Everyone is amazed with this building. Imaginations go wild when thinking of the possibilities,” Gonzalez says.

In 1996, Gonzalez purchased the building and started renting it out as a multi-use venue under the corporate name of The Temple Downtown.

The spacious ballroom has become a popular rental location for concerts, Mardi Gras balls, proms, parties, busi-ness meetings and wedding receptions.

The Temple was used for day three of Arts Alive once rain forced festival guests inside. The ballroom area was also used as an offi cial stage for South-sounds 2013.

Tours of the upper lodges and model train can be arranged via res-ervations. More information can be found at templemobile.com.

TIMOTHY BORLAND | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When rain moved in, the patrons of Arts Alive 2013 were able to take refuge inside the Temple’s ballroom (pictured).

VOL. 52, NO. 15 APR. 29, 2013 9

JT CRABTREE, LOC [email protected] OF CENTERLEFT OF CENTER

The South Alabama men’s golf team started strong, but was unable to hold onto an early lead in the Sun Belt Con-ference Men’s Golf Championships, fi n-ishing third overall on April 24.

In spite of the third place overall fi n-ish, junior Lane Hulse placed fi rst in the individual standings, shooting -2 for the tournament. Hulse is the sixth player in Jaguar history to win the individual championship. This was also Hulse’s fi rst career victory.

The Jags fi nished at 880 for the three-day tournament, nine strokes be-hind champion North Texas. Georgia State placed second, shooting an 876.

“This means a ton; this is what you dream of,” said Hulse. “I have worked two-and-a-half years to get a win in col-lege, for it to come at the conference championship makes it really special.”

Hulse credited much of his success in the tournament to his putting. “Go-ing back to the fi rst round, I got off to a little bit of a shaky start striking the ball,” said Hulse. “But I made some good putts to keep the round going. The last day it comes down to the back nine, and it was tough with the wind blowing, you

By JT [email protected]

Men’s golf finishes thirdMen’s golf finishes thirdJunior Lane Hulse wins individual championship in playoff

COURTESY OF USAJAGUARS.COMLane Hulse shot a -2 during the Sun Belt Conference Men’s Golf Champion-ship, securing a fi rst place fi nish

Softball racking up Softball racking up individual awardsindividual awards

were missing greens out there today, but I made several fi ve and six footers for par that kept me in it.”

Hulse needed a playoff hole to take the title, sinking a 16-foot putt to defeat Rodolfo Cazaubon of North Texas.

“For the playoff we went right back to No. 18. It’s a par three and I had just played it in regulation so I knew the number, exactly what club and the line to hit. I hit a really solid shot and was able to put the putt in the dead center of the hole for birdie.”

“Lane had a great performance, he was in total control of his golf game from the very fi rst round when he opened with a 68,” head coach Ben Han-nan said. “He was really at peace all day today, he never panicked. From the 18th hole to the playoff, he was in control, and as a result played great golf.”

The Jags have fi nished in the top

three in the fi ve twelve events that have participated in this season, and currently rank among the top 50 in the country. Their season may not be over now, as the Jags must wait until May 6 to fi nd out if they were selected for an NCAA Regional. Regionals will be played from May 16-18, with the national champion-ships being held in Alpharetta, GA from May 28-June 2.

“We got beat by two teams ranked right around us, so fi nishing third won’t hurt at all,” Hannan said. “Mathemati-cally we should be in very good shape to be picked for an at-large berth to a re-gional, and if we are, that will be the fi rst time under the current format that South Alabama men’s golf would accomplish that. That’s a testament to this team’s performance week in and week out and to the many good events that they’ve played all year long.”


The South Alabama softball team has been opening eyes all season long. They have a 41-7 overall re-cord. They are 15-1 on the road, the best road record in the country in terms of wins and winning percent-age. They are also ranked in the top 25 and have an RPI ranking in the top 20. But they also accumulated a number of Sun Belt Player of the Week awards this season, winning five in total. Here is a recap of the honors giving out this season to USA softball:

2/11-Farish Beard-PitcherFarish Beard earned the first

honors of the 2013 season, becom-ing the first pitcher at South Ala-bama to win Pitcher of the Week since Beth Pilgirm in 2010. Beard finished the first week of the season 2-0 in three appearances in the Bull-dog Kickoff Classic in Starkville, Miss. The Fairhope, Ala. Native struck out 16 while allowing two runs in 13.2 innings pitched, good for a 1.02 ERA. Beard also earned all-tournament honors.

2/18-Julie Moss-PlayerJulie Moss would earn the first of

two Player of the Week honors on February 18 after her performance in the Mardi Gras Invitational. Moss batted .538 for the tournament, go-ing 7-13 with seven runs, four RBI’s, two doubles and a home run. At the

COURTESY OF USAJAGUARS.COM

end of the weekend, the Birming-ham, Ala. native was tied for the conference lead in runs.

3/18-Brittany Fowler-PlayerBrittany Fowler was named Play-

er of the Week on March 18 after her performance against No. 22/25 Louisiana-Lafayette. Fowler finished the series 6-for-8 with three home runs, seven RBI’s and four runs scored. The Jacksonville, Fla. na-tive has rewritten the record books at South Alabama. Fowler is the all-time leader in runs, hits, triples, hit by pitch, RBI’s and sacrifice flies. She is also second all-time in home runs.

3/25-Julie Moss-PlayerJulie Moss earned the honors for

a second time in the 2013 season on March 25 after her series against FIU. Moss finished with two home runs, two doubles, three runs and 11 RBI’s, five of which came in game two of the series. Moss was respon-sible for 14 of the Jags’ 29 runs scored during the weekend (48%).

4/21-Haley Fagan-PlayerHaley Fagan became the first

freshman in South Alabama his-tory to win Sun Belt Player of the Week on April 21. The Dunnellon, Fla. native earned the honors after a weekend series against Louisiana-Monroe, where she went 8-for-11 for the series, including two home runs, six RBI’s in game two.

Haley Fagan became the fi rst freshman in South Alabama history to win Player of the Week

“Like” us atfacebook.com/USAVGSports

PATRICK HERRING, SPORTS [email protected]

VOL. 52, NO. 15/ APR. 29 , 2013

Softball dismantles Trojans, matches 2012 win total

Coach Becky Clark talks to catcher Alex Breeden (left) and pitcher Farish Beard on Wed. during the contest against Troy in which Beard registered her fi rst no-hitter.

By PATRICK [email protected]


Baseball sweeps Jacksonville State, takes series against ULMSouth Alabama baseball put

together a fl urry of wins last week against Jacksonville State and UL-Monroe, using solid pitching and clutch hitting on their way to a six game winning streak.In game one against Jacksonville State, the Jags had to play catch for much of the game, but seven unanswered runs led them to a 9-6 comeback victory.

Jeff DeBlieux fi nished 4-for-6 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Hayden Jones went 4-for-5 with two runs scored. Nick Zaharion went 2-for-4 with three RBI’s, a run and a walk. Jordan Patterson fi nished 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI to go along with his two walks. Nolan Earley and Dustin Dalken each added two RBI’s. Bud Collura also walked three times in six plate appearances.

Jags starting pitcher Payton Gardner was only able to last three innings. He allowed four runs on fi ve hits, while walking one and striking out fi ve. Brandon Boyle then came in relief, working two innings and giving up three hits and two runs while recording a strikeout. Jaime Dennis was able to shutdown the Gamecocks, working 3 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing two hits and striking out two. Kyle Bartsch came

BY CHIP ENGLISH / USAJAGUARS.COM

It took head coach Becky Clark and her team ten fewer conests

to get to the program record of 41 wins this season than it took in 2012. The total that will surely be added to with two more regular season contests and the Sun Belt Conference tournament still to be played.

The record-tying win had extra signifi cance in that it came against rival Troy in the team’s last home game of the season. No. 18 South Alabama (41-7, 17-3 SBC) defeated the Trojans (20-27, 7-11 SBC) 9-0 in just fi ve innings of a run-rule shortened game at Jaguar Field Wed. night.

Sophomore picher Farish Beard got the start on the mound and registered the fi rst no-hitter of her career in fi ve innings of work. She struck out 10 of the 17 Trojan batters she faced and had it not been for a pair of walks, she would have had a perfect game. She improved her record to 20-0 on the season, tying her for the second most wins

in program history. Beard’s 9.5 strikeouts per seven innings is good for fourteenth best in Div. 1.

In the same week that she was named SBC Player of the Week, freshman Haley Fagan put on another show as she drove in 4 runs on two hits, which included her team-leading tenth homerun of the season. Her ten homers are good for second most by a Jag in a single season. Fagan was the fourth Jaguar to receive the weekly honor from the league, joining Beard, Julie Moss and Brittany Fowler.

The Jaguars got the scoring started in the second inning when freshman Emily Messer hit an RBI single to score sophomore Alyssa Linn and give USA the 1-0 lead.

In the next inning, USA tacked on three more runs, starting with and RBI single from Fagan, which scored sophomore Blair Johnson from third.

Fellow sophomore Kaitlyn Griffi th then drove two more in with a double that was just shy of the fence to put USA up 4-0.

Five runs on fi ve hits in the

fourth put the game well out of reach of the visiting Trojans’ grasp.

Johnson singled up the middle to score Britany Campbell from third to start the scoring fl urry. Moss would then walk to put two on for Fagan. She took a 1-0 pitch over the right center wall to put the Jags up 8-0.

Messer ended the scoring with an RBI single to give the Jags the winning score of 9-0. The run-rule victory is USA’s sixteenth of the season and the sixth in a row. The 9-0 fi nal also marks the team’s sixteenth shutout win of the year.

This season overall has been outstanding for USA softball, but the stats the Lady Jags have put up at home are outstanding. In games played at Jaguar Field this season, USA batted .333, slugged .582 and registered a .416 on-base percentage. They outscored visiting teams 137-39 and hit 27 home runs in 20 home games. South Alabama’s pitching staff combined for a 1.86 when pitching at home. The squad only lost three home games all season.

The Jaguars will travel to Troy

this weekend for a pair of games to end the regular season. South Alabama hasn’t lost to the Trojans since May 7, 2011, when they fell 1-2 on the road.

USA leads the all-time series over Troy 11-8 and has won the previous fi ve contests.

Hannah Campbell will likely get the start on the mound for the

Jaguars in the fi rst game of the road trip to Troy. This season she has an 18-7 record and her .94 ERA is tops in the country. She is one of only two pitchers in Div. 1 to have an ERA under 1.

South Alabama is currently atop the Sun Belt Conference standings with a two-win lead over second-place Western Kentucky.

Senior outfi elder Jeff DeBlieux went 9-for-18 with fi ve RBI’s last week.BY BOBBY MCDUFFIE / USAJAGUARS.COM

in the ninth to pick up his eleventh save of the season.

In game two against Jacksonville State, the Jags used a six run fi rst inning to set the table for the rest of the game, going on to win 6-5, sweeping the season series against the Gamecocks.

The Jags played station-to-station the whole way, with all nine of their team hits being singles. Dustin Dalken fi nished 2-for-3 with two RBI’s, a walk and a run scored. Hayden Jones also went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Nolan Earley fi nished 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored. Graham Odom added two RBI’s of his own on one hit and a walk.

Starting pitcher Anthony Izzio worked four innings, allowing seven hits, fi ve runs, three walks and a strikeout. Tripp Cecil came in and provided valuable relief in the rain delayed game, working 4 2/3 scoreless innings while allowing just three hits, a walk and recording three strikeouts. Jordan Patterson struck out the only batter he faced in the ninth to record his fi rst career save.

“Tripp Cecil did a nice job out of the bullpen,” head coach Mark Calvi said. “He was really good, and it was a great rebound-appearance for him. We’re happy for him, because he works his tail

off and he has done a great job for us so far.”

The Jags then went on the road to UL-Monroe for a Sun Belt Conference series, taking the fi rst two games to extend their winning streak to six games.

In game one, the Jags were able to slug their way to a 10-8 victory.

Bud Collura, Jordan Patterson, Jeff DeBlieux and Dustin Dalken all added extra-base hits for the Jags. Patterson fi nished 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Collura went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a walk. DeBlieux went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a two-run home run, the fi rst of his career. Dalken added a home run and two RBI’s of his own in his 1-for-5 outing.

“We did a good job offensively, we left too many men on base, but we scored enough to win,” Calvi said. “Cito was great for seven innings. I would have loved to have seen him go eight (innings), or see Traylor go out there and just fi nish the ballgame. That was my plan. I had all the confi dence in the world in him (Traylor) to go out and fi nish the game, but it didn’t happen so we had to hang on late.”

In game two, the Jags again had to

mount a comeback, overcoming a 5-2 defi cit to win 9-6 due in large to a six-run fi fth inning.

Jeff DeBlieux continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI’s and two runs scored. Dustin Dalken went 2-for-5 with two RBI’s and a run scored. Jordan Patterson added an RBI double. Robby Campbell, Bud Collura and Nolan Earley each had two hits.

Starting pitcher Matt Bell was roughed up in the second and third inning before being pulled for Hunter

Soleymani, who worked a career-high 6 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, one run, two walks and three strikeouts on his way to picking up his fi rst career win. Bell worked 2 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits, fi ve runs, while walking one and striking out two.

“Soleymani was great,” Calvi said. “It wasn’t looking good for us. Bell has been really good all year long. It just wasn’t his day today.”

(Due to deadline constraints, we were unable to provide a recap of Game 3 against ULM. Please visit usajaguars.com for a full recap.)

10

11VOL. 52, NO. 15 / APRIL 29, 2013

Want us to follow you? Tweet us @USAVGSports

@USAVGSports

Kyle Bartsch @Kyle_Bartsch:Pitcher

I’d trade a 2nd round pick right now for a back scratch and foosackly’s

Jay Jones @_JayJones3:Running Back

Watching Netfl ix until sunrise #allnighter

Drew Dearman @DrewDearman:Offensive Lineman

If you wanna measure the number of white guys at a bowling alley...throw on some Linkin Park Mr.DJ

Jake Howton @J_Howdy_86:Wide Receiver

It’s not a roadtrip until someone pisses in a bottle.

Emily Hundt @emilyhundt15:Setter

When your milk is at that stage where you can taste it’s going bad, but it isn’t gross enough to waste half a gallon... #collegeproblems

Trey Anderson @UnoDosTrey123:Guard

My physics teacher just charged these two dudes up SICK for trying to leave class early

Chris May @CmayFive5:Offensive lineman

If a catfi sh and a Llama had a baby it would be Pau Gasol

Darius McKeller @BigDdaBasedLord:Offensive lineman

Cant even watch my Hawks play. They too irrelevant to get on regular cable. Sigh

By PATRICK [email protected]

Get to know new women’s head basketball coach, Terry FowlerThe Vanguard Sports Section spoke to Coach Fowler and asked him some questions to learn more about the man behind the coach.

General Favorites:

Food - steakDrink - sweet teaMovie - Blackhawk DownBand - CameoColor - black

Sports Favorites:

Pro Sports Team- Boston CelticsAthlete - Michael JordanHead Coach - Bill BelichickNon-basketball Sport -

FootballMoment as a coach:1. Seeing kids graduate 2. Beating Alabama in an

exhibition gameVenue: Mitchell Center

One word to describe:

Yourself - caringCoaching style - encouragingMobile - greatSouth Alabama - passionate peopleMitchell Center - awesome

Are you a student at USA?

Do you love sports?

Do you love to write?

Do you want to build your resume?

If you answered yes to these questions, we want YOU to write for the Sports section! Just send an email with some kind of sample writing to [email protected] to let us know you’re interested. You could be in an issue of The Vanguard in the fall semester!

USA Sports Briefs courtesy usajaguars.com

Women’s golf senior Golightly named All-Sun Belt

It was announced Thursday that South Alabama’s Kristen Golightly was named Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference for her efforts this season.

Golightly recorded a stroke average of 76.48 in 27 rounds this season, including a career-low 3-under par 69 at the SBC Championship. She fi nished the tournament with a three round total of 216 for even par.

Over the course of the season, Golightly earned three top-fi ve fi nishes and two other top-ten fi nishes.

She is the fi rst women’s golfer from USA to receive all-conference recognition since Elin Anderson in 2008.

Track and fi eld produces three winners in fi rst day of meet

The South Alabama men’s and women’s track teams garnered three individual victories on the fi rst day of

the Coach “O” Invitational at Jesse H. Colley Track on the Troy University campus Friday.

USA swept the podium in the men’s pole vault with Mikel Magnusson (4.75m), William Henley (4.60m) and Garrett Schumacher (4.30m) placing fi rst, second and third respectively. Magnusson’s distance was good for a new personal best.

Kayla Carlile fi nished atop the standings in the women’s pole vault after she cleared 3.70m, just .02m short of her career-best effort.

In the women’s hammer throw, Bobbie Williams placed fi rst with a toss of 54.69m to defeat the rest of the seven-woman fi eld.

On the men’s side of the hammer throw, Adam Patterson led South with a new personal record toss of 55.85m, which was good for a fourth-place fi nish. Jeff Long landed one spot behind him with a hurl of 53.71m

The men’s and women’s squads also competed on Saturday, but results were not available by the time this edition went to press. For full results, see usajaguars.com.

2013 NFL Draft proves nothing’s a sure thing

Had former Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley de-

clared for the NFL Draft after his junior season last year, he likely would have been a top ten overall selection, maybe even top fi ve. Instead of declaring for the draft, though, he chose to come back and play another season at USC. The Trojans didn’t perform as well as he’d hoped and his draft stock was hurt because of it. Barkley was still the number one pick, but it was the number one pick in the fourth round.

Strangely enough, Barkley and nearly

200 other prospects were drafted after a guy who didn’t even play football last season. Former Louisiana State defensive back Tyrann Mathieu sat out the 2012 football season as opposed to transfer-ring from LSU after he was suspended indefi nitely from the team. Even after he admitted to failing countless drug tests while in college, the Arizona Cardinals selected Mathieu in the third round with the sixty-ninth overall pick.

Most draft experts had former Ala-bama running back Eddie Lacy going fi rst among the guys at his position, while many had him pegged as a fi rst rounder. Three other running backs were selected

before Lacy, who fell to the Green Bay Packers at pick number 61 overall.

One of the biggest stories of the fi rst night of the draft was that of former West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith. Smith was considered by many to be the top overall quarterback prospect in this year’s draft. He was even invited by the league to attend the draft proceedings in New York. But pick after pick went by before the fi rst team chose a quarterback at number 17. However, Smith’s name wasn’t called. Florida State alum E.J. Manuel was chosen by the Buffalo Bills in a surprise move. The remainder of the fi rst round went by without Smith’s name

being called. The New York Jets fi nally selected Smith with the seventh pick of the second round (39 overall). Surely he was happy to go to a team that already has 5 other signal callers on contract, including former fi rst round picks Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow.

These are just a few of the strange happenings in the annual three-day event that temporarily feeds the appetite of the football-starved American public.

The guys in the 2014 class, names such as Braxton Miller and Jadeveon Clowney, better not take anything for granted because anything can happen in the circus that is the NFL Draft.

VOL. 52, NO. 15 / APR. 29, 201312

Concussions becoming an increasing problem in footballBy DALTON ORWIGContributing Writer

Here’s a quick test: Starting with December and going

backwards, state the months of the year. “December, November, October...” Having trouble yet? If so, there may be a chance you have had a concussion.

Last year, during the 2012-2013 National Football League season, more than 170 players were diagnosed with at least one concussion. That number includes only players who reported injuries to the medical staff.

Many players refuse to come off the fi eld when they sustain head injuries. They stay in the game and risk damaging themselves more, either because of the “warrior mentality”, or out of the fear they may lose their starting job, which happened to former San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith.

Last year, Smith was in the midst of his best season at quarterback when he suffered a concussion during the 10th game of the year. Smith had an up-and-down career prior to last season. Many felt he was good enough to start at quarterback and build a team around, but many felt that he was better in the role of a back-up.

Smith tried to stay in the game following his concussion, and even threw a touchdown pass just a few plays later. Eventually the side effects of the concussion became too much to handle. He was pulled from the game. Rookie quarterback Colin Kaepernick took over the quarterback position and Smith was never given another chance. He watched the rookie lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl berth.

Ryan Onkka, a junior tight end for the USA Jaguars, has spent much of his life playing football. He has seen players try to stay on the fi eld after being concussed.

“In the 2010 or 2011 season, I remember seeing a guy trying to stay in the game after he got knocked loose,” Onkka said, “We could all tell, and the trainers did a good job of getting him off the fi eld. One time when I thought I had one in high school, I did take myself out for a couple of plays, but I got checked by a trainer. It wasn’t a concussion, so I went back in.”

According to the Sports Concussion Institute, a concussion is defi ned as “a complex pathophysiological process that affects the brain, typically induced by trauma to the brain. It can be caused either by a direct blow to the head, or an indirect blow to the body, causing neurological impairments that may resolve spontaneously. Symptoms usually refl ect a functional disturbance to the brain, and may include physical (e.g., headaches, nausea), cognitive (e.g., diffi culty with concentration or memory), emotional (e.g., irritability,

sadness), and ‘maintenance’ (e.g., sleep disturbances, changes in appetite or energy levels) symptoms. A concussion is considered a brain injury,” according to SCI documents.

Senior linebacker Enrique Williams has never been offi cially diagnosed with a concussion. He described what it feels like after a hard hit to the head.

“You feel a little dizzy for a few seconds or so,” Williams said, “I know one incident a couple years ago, I felt fatigued, like my body was worn out for a little while, but that was basically it.”

Until the recent spike in cases of brain disease associated with professional sports, not much was known about concussions. Many thought a concussion only occurred if there was a loss of consciousness. According to the Centers for Disease Control, however, fewer than 10 percent of sports-related concussions involve loss of consciousness.

The Sports Concussion Institute says that research suggests that for every concussion, that person is one to two times more likely for a second concussion, then two to three times more likely for a third, and three to nine times more likely for a fourth. If you are watching mixed martial arts or boxing, and a fi ghter is referred to as having a “glass jaw,” that fi ghter has more than likely been concussed enough times that it doesn’t take much to knock him out again.

Now, researchers are beginning to fi nd that many ex-athletes (including ex-NFL players Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, who each committed suicide) developed CTE as a result of head trauma.

CTE, or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, is a degenerative brain disease that results in depression, loss of memory and dementia. The disease is not usually diagnosed until after death, which makes its diagnosis and treatment diffi cult. Late last year, Boston University announced it discovered 28 cases of CTE in deceased football players. Fifteen of those players played in the NFL.

In January this year, Seau’s family fi led a wrongful death lawsuit against the NFL, claiming that his suicide was a result of head trauma he sustained over his 20-year NFL career. They joined a group of thousands of other former NFL players who are suing the NFL over the concussion issue.

Should football players be worried about the future effects these concussions may cause?

“Everyone takes a risk when they play football,” Onkka said, “You know that when you sign up. You play for the love of the game. You do know the risk, but that goes for everything you do in life. It does scare you to hear about

people having brain problems, or to hear about Junior Seau or other people committing suicide from numerous hits to the head making them crazy. It doesn’t really scare me too much because I’ve been blessed, where I haven’t had many concussions.”

Prior to this year’s Super Bowl, President Barack Obama shared his thoughts on concussions, offi cially making it a national concern.

“I’m a big football fan, but I have to tell you if I had a son, I’d have to think long and hard before I let him play football,” the President said in an interview with The New Republic. “And I think that those of us who love the sport are going to have to wrestle with the fact that it will probably change gradually to try to reduce some of the violence. In some cases, that may make it a little bit less exciting, but it will be a whole lot better for the players, and those of us who are fans maybe won’t have to examine our consciences quite as much.”

With pressure from all sides, the NFL released a statement following the autopsy of Seau’s brain: “The NFL, both directly and in partnership with the NIH (National Institutes of Health), Centers for Disease Control and other leading organizations, is committed to supporting a wide range of independent medical and scientifi c research that will both address CTE and promote the long-term health and safety of athletes at all levels. The NFL clubs have already committed a $30 million research grant to the NIH, and we look forward to making decisions soon with the NFL Players Association on the investment of $100 million for medical research

that is committed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. We have work to do, and we’re doing it.”

Less than a month following the statement, the $100 million grant was awarded to Harvard Medical School from the NFL Player’s Association. The funding will go toward a 10-year initiative to study 1,000 retired athletes across the country.

In Harvard Medical School’s press release announcing their partnership with the NFLPA, they gave a detailed outline of the plan. Using experts from a wide range of fi elds, the researchers will identify 100 healthy and 100 unhealthy players out of the group of 1,000 athletes chosen to participate. Then, researchers will put the 200 players through a series of tests and examinations to create what they describe as a “biological profi le of illness.” The hope is that their fi ndings will help develop tests to detect problems with the brain much earlier than is possible now, and ultimately fi nd more effective prevention methods.

Along with making rule changes in an effort to minimize dangerous situations where a head injury is likely to occur, the NFL also plans to have independent specialists on the sidelines at every game. These specialists will be able to treat and diagnose concussions - their sole job.

Until now, it has been the job of team-employed physicians to care for the injured players and determine whether they were fi t to return to action. The NFL Players Association alleged that the team physicians have not been following NFL-established concussion protocols because they are either unqualifi ed or they are being pressured

by their employers to keep star players in the game, even though it is hazardous to their health.

With independent specialists on each team’s sideline, who specialize in concussions and answer to the league rather than a specifi c team, the league hopes the number of avoidable brain injuries decreases.

The way that University of South Alabama medical trainers and coaches work to prevent and treat concussions received high marks from both Onkka and Williams.

“Before the season, we’ll have a meeting, and they’ll go over the different situations and what you should do if you think you have one,” Williams said, “Usually if you get a concussion, they sit you out for the rest of the game or practice. Then you have to come in that Monday and you have to go through these concussion tests. I guess based on what your score is, that will give you a timetable for when you can play again.”

The NFL players, however, represent a very small number of people in contrast to the hundreds of thousands of pee-wee, high school, college, and other football players. It is a dangerous sport. According to the CDC, if you play football there is a 75 percent chance you will get a concussion.

The CDC also estimates that in all sports, between 1.6 million and 3.8 million concussions occur each year. That estimated number includes concussions not reported to physicians.

It is a disease about which few people were worried ten years ago. It is now, unfortunately, a disease that could ruin the lives of many more than anyone originally thought.

Pro football players like Alex Smith (11) may stay in games with a concussion to avoid being passed up on the depth chart. Smith left a game with a concussion and was never given back the reins, which eventaully resulted in him being traded.

STAFF ILLUSTRATION

VOL. 52, NO. 15 / APRIL 29, 2013 13

NOAH LOGAN OPINION [email protected]

OpinionOpinionFor me,

graduation will come in eight m o n t h s (December 2013). For many of my friends, graduation will occur in May, just a few short

weeks from now. Behind my bravado and jokes about

how I can’t wait to escape USA, there is a healthy dose of anxiety and trepidation. Now that I’m facing the unknown pros-pects of adulthood, a small part of me longs for the security of childhood. Back then, ignorance was bliss. At the same time I’ve been refl ecting on the past, I’ve also been refl ecting on the future.

For those who will be graduating

soon, the world is waiting for us. The last sixteen years of education have put blinders on us, providing us with the sin-gular goal of completing our education and obtaining that degree. However, now we’ve reached that end of that tunnel, and the light is starting to shine through. For the fi rst time in our lives, there won’t be anyone telling us what to do or where to go. If you’re like me and feeling some anxiety, just know that it is perfectly nor-mal.

Life is all about transitions. The most important element in successfully han-dling a transition is having confi dence in yourself. More than anyone, you know what your personal strengths and weak-nesses are and what it is you have to bring to the table. Although it’s easier said than done; try to take things in stride. Don’t sweat the small things. Stick to your in-stincts. Stick to your principles.

Never let anyone stand in the way of achieving your goals. If you want some-

Transition from graduation to lifeTransition from graduation to life

JagPulseHow do you feel about the new cell How do you feel about the new cell phone application LuLu?phone application LuLu?

Dennis Mersereau: I’ve seen it defended as “all in good fun.” I don’t know if people will be okay with it once the opposite version comes out. Overnight it’ll turn into the most evil app to ever exist.

April Lindsay: That seems really shallow and horrible. If it was for guys rating girls, everyone would freak out and call it sexist.

Joshua Goff: That sounds seriously wrong. THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS!!!!!!

Kristina Williams: Certainly one of the most interesting apps I have ever seen. Keeps me laughing.

Olivia Martin :I think it’s extremely embarrassing anyone would even fool around with that. There are so many reasons why that is a bad idea. Why can’t dating be what it was 30 years ago? The constant access to people has made it so much more diffi cult to cultivate healthy relationships. People have no boundaries. Shame on you for being

so superfi cial.Sean Ramsey: I imagine, just

like, rate my professor. It’ll be highly populated by people who feel ‘wronged’ by the other, and they’ll throw up a bunch of mud, and destructively post about their signifi cant other as they go through the process of a break up.

JT Crabtree: I’m cool with it, as long as I have a good rating. If not, then it’s crap.

TheTheEditorialEditorialBoardBoard

Editor in Chief Opinion Editor Life Editor Sports Editor LOC Editor

Cassie Fambro >Noah Logan >Jake Howell >

Patrick Herring >JT Crabtree >

thevanguardonline.com

The Vanguard The Vanguard ViewpointViewpointFinish StrongFinish Strong

thing badly enough, you’ll achieve it through hard work and dedication. Go after your goals with passion and enthu-siasm. Stay true to who you are. Value the friendships you’ve made and the educa-tion you’ve received while in college. Be excited.

We’ve heard these kinds of state-ments made plenty of times over the course of our academic lives, but now it’s time to take these tools we’ve been given and apply them to real life situations. My time at South has been great, and I won’t ever forget it. For every person who has played a part in journey here, no matter how small, I’d like to say thank you.

There isn’t a one size fi ts all blueprint for success, but the good times are just beginning. As we move into unfamiliar territory, just know that if you can’t fi nd solid ground to stand on; then you will learn to fl y.

Aldyn [email protected]

VG ARCHIVES

The end of the academic year is a time where students, faculty and staff are supposed to wrap up loose ends. By now, people should know where they stand in a class and where they’re going.

It’s also a time where many are about to say goodbyes. Some are painful and some are a relief.

College is a place where we grow far more than we did in high school and these changes are harder. These changes are liberating while strenu-ous.

Whether it is changing your major, leaving your high school sweetheart or simply moving, college is not care-free. It’s important to know what your grades are right now and what you need to get on fi nals.

This week is where you hit the pavement as hard as you can and try to avoid academic regret. You should do the same with the people in your life. Summer often separates us and when we come back, things change.

If you’re walking across the stage, you’ll be walking out of some lives. What will you leave behind? If you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped this year, now is the time to fi nish strong and set your focus on next semester.

The last week of a semester is not a week to give up. It’s a week to make sure you’re closing this chapter the right way. Resolve your loose ends this week and make sure that what you’re looking forward to will make you not only a better student, but a better per-son.

Getting through the harder semes-ters make you stronger. Setting goals makes you competitive. Doing right by the people you care about is important, but resolving confl ict with those you don’t make you mature. How you live is how you choose.

This week, act like the person you want to become.

Finish strong, Jags.

VOL. 52, NO. 15 / APR. 29, 201314

The end of another school year is upon us. The fun part about living in Mobile is that we are just a few miles away

from south Alabama’s fantastic beaches, a handful of hours away from the vibrant nightlife of New Orleans (if the down-town Mobile scene isn’t getting it done for you), and a day away from Florida’s fantastic beaches if we get bored with ours. Summer means that most of us will make our pilgrimages to these and other vacation sites, as is a natural and righteous part of the American college experience.

Lord knows you didn’t pine for snow drifts and blizzards while you stayed up all night with that 10-page research paper.

But sooner or later, you’re going to forget to put on sunscreen, and you’re going to wind up with wicked sunburn. What to do with all of your newfound free time spent avoiding heat and bright light? Let me propose a few ways to spend your time:

1. Get a job, you bum. They’re not as easy to fi nd as in years past, but they’re still good for fi nancing all of your sum-mer delinquency, or you can just waste them on servicing your student loans. Not to mention that if you get REALLY lucky, it’ll be something you either mod-erately enjoy or can use for resume fod-der down the road.

2. Donate your time instead. As nice as taking the long break from school can

be, there’s plenty of folks in our area for whom summertime is just another rough time of year. Lending some of your time to them provides a myriad of benefi ts.

You get that warm feeling that comes from offering unconditional help to an-other human being. And no, no company or organization ever looked at a resume and said, “That’s way too much service work.” Although I think it’s a little dis-tasteful for you to bring that up right now; we’re being altruistic here.

3. Learn something new. I would nev-er tell you to break out last semester’s notes and prep for your fi nals all over again, because nobody is going to do that and I would fear being struck by lightning of I acted like this was something I did. What I would suggest is to fi nd some-thing that interests you and learn as much as you can about it this summer. Bonus

End of the year adviceEnd of the year adviceDon’t stop improving yourself this summerDon’t stop improving yourself this summer

“He who stands for nothing will fall for anything”“He who stands for nothing will fall for anything”O n e

more se-mester ends, and with it, another year of school. It so happens that this year was my first year here at the Univer-

sity of South Alabama. Three more years to go and every moment I will treasure as a Jaguar.

I would like to thank you all for making it a memorable year. Also, I would personally like to thank Noah Logan for allowing me to write for The Vanguard and for his relentless work for the university and the stu-dent body. I have very much enjoyed

writing in the opinion section as it allows me to use the voice guaran-teed to me by the United States Con-stitution, whether it is looked upon with fondness or disgust. I can’t help but smile. I would like to end this year with a few words of encour-agement and wisdom I have gained this year that could benefit you next semester or wherever you go in life.

A lot of times we get caught up in the winds of college life, assign-ments, work and other duties, but there is more to life than that. We have been blessed to be able to live, work and study in the United States of America. More and more as I go through my life, this truth becomes more evident. As such, I encourage you to continue to press on in your studies, your work, your friends, and your family. Ceaselessly pursue truth

Micah [email protected]

Come back and be ready to be more involvedCome back and be ready to be more involved

RYAN [email protected]

in all you do, whether it is the pop-ular thing to do or not. Times will come where your opinion is not a favorable one.

Many times this year I have had people come against my views, my religion, and my rights as a citizen. Nevertheless, I stood against such things with dignity and courage. I encourage you to do the same thing.

Whatever your race, religion, eth-nicity, intelligence, or gender is, nev-er stop standing up for what you be-lieve in. I encourage you to not only focus on what you believe in but also why you believe in it. As my English 101 professor quoted one day in class, “He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.”

This quote is from Alexander Ham-ilton, a brilliant man to say the least. Since that day, it has rung in my ears as I

both wrote and spoke. I encourage you to do the same. Voice your opinion.

I believe that if we, as a body, rise above the turmoil in our world and stand for truth, we could change this very world we live in. Let us not strive for the things that are possible but for the things that are impossible for they will become possible.

I do hope that I will have the ability to write for the Vanguard next semester and for as long as I am here at the University of South Ala-

bama. I would like to end this article with a few words that we all might recognize. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the repub-lic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Thank you and God bless! If you disagree with any statement above, you have the right to do so. After all, this is the opinion section!

Let us not strive for the things that are

possible but for the things that are im-

possible for they will become possible.

“”

points if it’s something related to your major.

Just think about what made you want to pursue that major, and start from there. It is worth mentioning that any profession you pursue as a result of your college degree is going to require you to constantly learn and update your knowl-edge as time goes on. Why not get in the habit now, while you can still choose what you learn?

For many of you, this May represents your last days on campus as a student here. For everyone that is coming back in the fall, take some consideration towards

how you spend your time this summer.

Whether you do some of the things I have suggested here or not, use your summer to improve yourself in some way. From experience, I promise you that a little bit of extra work can make all of the difference down the line. Most of all, stay safe this summer. It was a rough year around campus for our student family as we lost too many of our fellows too soon. Enjoy a well-deserved vacation, and come back here to share in another year here with the rest of us.

As nice as taking the long break from school can be,

there’s plenty of folks in our area for whom summer-

time is just another rough time of year.

“”

Noah [email protected]

I would encourage all return-ing students to be more p roac t ive on campus and within the city of M o b i l e . Find an in-

terest this summer than you can use to join a group or go to an event and meet more people with the same interest. And

even if you fi nd an interest that has no relevant student group or organization on campus, start one.

Parker Chastain briefl y explained the process at the last SGA meeting and he seems only too happy to help new orga-nizations navigate through the red tape and paperwork.

Student organizations are literally ev-erywhere on campus. Every stairwell and door is plastered with advertise-ments for free events and while I don’t attend all of them, I go to as many polit-ical science club events as I possibly can.

Mayoral candidate Sandy Stimpson gave a free speech in Humanities last night and I was sad to see only 48 people present. No more than six students were present at any SGA meetings I have been to this year.

Unfortunately, these stories resemble those other student organization leaders on campus. This combined with an low SGA voting rate of 10 percent leads me to believe that we can do better. I can speak on behalf of the editors when I say that new ideas and new writers are constantly welcomed.

In my opinion, the only obstacle keeping South Alabama from forming Alabama’s own Big 3 with Auburn and

Alabama is this mindset that no mat-ter what students try to do, it just can’t happen. It can happen, it just can’t hap-pen for you.

Find an interest this summer than you can use to join

a group or go to an event and meet more people with the

same interest.

“By getting involved, you’re not only

benefi tting yourself. You’re benefi tting all those attempting to involved else-

where.South Alabama is on a fast track to

success. My only advice is for more peo-ple to get on board.

”

VOL. 52, NO. 15 / APR. 29, 2013 15

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VOL. 52, NO. 15 / APR. 29, 201316

April 29, 2013

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